“Out of the ashes peace will rise, our courage is our memory.”
These lines of a Native American poem reverberated across the hall at the Friends of Zion Museum in central Jerusalem, carried by the steady beat of a drum. Audience members were asked to meditate on the words. At times, a flute’s soft rhythm filled the air, a soothing counterpoint, while the audience was invited to participate in different ways.
On one of the hottest days of the year, August 14, a unique cultural and diplomatic experience was unfolding. The event, called Good Medicine, was described as “an offering from Native Americans to Israel” through “ceremony, storytelling, singing, and laughter.” While it contained the elements of a cultural musical performance, its deeper dimension lay in the bridge-building between peoples.
Hosted by Jerusalem-based NGO Indigenous Bridges – a nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the advancement of indigenous communities worldwide – the event created a rare cultural space for healing, music, and exchange.
Standing with Israel
The featured artist-diplomats were Native American dignitaries Laralyn and Chief Joseph Riverwind, who head the organization FireKeepers International. Laralyn serves as ambassador of the Georgian Tribe of Eastern Cherokee, while Joseph is ward chief of the Arawak Taino Tribe of Puerto Rico. Their message was clear: Despite global hostility against Israel that has reached a peak since Oct. 7, they and many Native communities stand with the Jewish people.
Chief Riverwind described their solidarity: “Both of our tribes have proclamations of support for the State of Israel and are called Zionist Tribes. Many forget that during the civil rights movement, Jewish people stood with Native people. They didn’t forget us, so we will not forget you.”
He drew parallels between Native and Jewish history: “We lost around six million in the Native American holocaust that began in 1492. We have had 500 years of persecution, but you had thousands. In 1948, when we saw your people return to your land, it was a story of hope for us.”
LARALYN RIVERWIND spoke with warmth about Jewish resilience: “I love tikkun olam [fixing the world]. I love your beautiful resilience – through thousands of years of persecution, you know how to smile, how to rest, that you want peace more than anything. People who have gone through heartbreak can learn so much from the Jewish people,” she said.
The Riverwinds explained that they came to Israel simply to support: “It has been two years of relentless war. We are coming alongside to hold up your tents and bring a smile to your faces. Social media algorithms cannot drown out people telling you that you are loved and prayed for.”
For Daniel Voiztek, CEO of the Friends of Zion Museum, the Riverwinds’ presence had special significance: “The purpose of this place is to build bridges between Israelis and people that support us all around the world. We see our real friends in times like this.” He presented them with a menorah, symbolizing light – initiating a gift-giving exchange with the dignitaries.
More exchange of gifts followed. Laralyn presented tear beads – symbols of the Trail of Tears – explaining, “Out of grief, there is healing.” Turquoise, she noted, represents sacredness and the sacred path, a voice for the voiceless. Sweetgrass was gifted, traditionally used to bless warriors, including IDF soldiers. A handcrafted turtle, symbolizing the woman who “carries the shell on her back and despite the weight will not crack,” honored resilience.
In return, Ateret Shmuel, executive director of Indigenous Bridges, presented handcrafted pottery made from Jerusalem’s earth, symbolizing the unbreakable bond between Jews, Jerusalem, and the land.
THE EVENING unfolded with music, storytelling, and shared healing. Native songs for fallen warriors, animal stories, and flute melodies gave way to an interactive finale: a round dance. “The round dance is called a heartbeat because it brings everyone together,” Joseph explained as the group released a communal battle cry.
For many in attendance – hostage family members and volunteers on what Shmuel called “the eighth front of the war, the war of perception” – the event offered rare relief. As one family member of hostage Avi Natan Or, still held in Gaza, said: “Events like this give energy that applies spiritually to all. Hostages who have come out have said that they felt the unexplainable energy of our prayers, and it kept them going in the hardest of times. We believe that every person with his prayer has the power to change.”
Jerusalem Old City Jewish Quarter resident Hadassa Esther Gold remarked about the event: “It’s an example of pure oneness – not just of two cultures, two worlds, but of humanity. It brings us back to our common denominator.”
With a screen backdrop of “Your Allies Are Here,” Shmuel reflected on the importance of hosting the Riverwind chieftains for a healing intercultural exchange in light of almost two years of war. “It was important to create these spaces for these creative wisdoms, to heal from community traumas. For we all have unique traditions among us.” She emphasized that resilience as a people has always come from “our culture of balancing pain with joy,” recognizing both times of grief and celebration as essential for survival.
Drawing inspiration from Native American traditions, she noted: “Like us, all of the hundreds of Native American tribes have also come up with unique ways to process what’s going on with our lives and move forward. Their wisdom, as well as our own, offers models of resilience.”
The event had personal meaning for her: “It’s one thing to be seen by your own people; it is another thing entirely to be seen by another people who don’t have to show up… who say, ‘It may not be the popular thing to do, but this is the right thing to do.’”
LOOKING AHEAD, Shmuel shared her vision of bringing more intertribal arts and cultural events to Jerusalem, “the heart of our people and soul of the nation,” where, as prophets like Isaiah and Ezekiel foretold, nations would one day gather.
She reminded the audience that the struggle is not only physical but also perceptual: “There is this eighth front of the war, the war of perception,” waged by volunteers combating disinformation and modern-day blood libels. However, others around the world see the battle and join in support. Her organization’s purpose is to bring them to Jerusalem in intercultural exchanges. There will be more, she said, funding pending.
She reflected that resilience is not only persevering through the war but also picking up the day after in one’s day-to-day life, a challenging task for many Israelis, with recent events such as the 12-day war with Iran, that abruptly ended with the whole population supposed to carry on with life as normal.
By drawing on Native traditions of receiving and honoring warriors, she explained, “Native Americans have the highest enlistment rate… yet the lowest rate of PTSD. Their experiences around warriors, sending off and receiving them, help them deal with the trauma and build resilience… For the Riverwinds, part of what they were doing here was to do that with our warriors.
“This is not simply taking support,” Shmuel concluded. “It is a mutual exchange – and it is an important exchange for all of us.”